Day 3 Inchnadamph to Skye........

........via Achiltibuie and Applecross.

We stayed overnight in the Inchnadamph Hotel this year - the hostel was fully booked with a university party. The owner Richard, only had the place open a week (the hotel closes from October to April) and was getting up to speed again and the food portions were massive - 20 pieces of scampi for one!!! Nige had to help me out with that.

Fantastic weather yesterday evening on the run down to Inchnadamph and as you come down on the A894 to the junction with the A837 at Loch Assynt herd of about 20 twenty red deer crossing the road ahead of us as we come along. Half of them get across and run off up the hillside, the other ten or so stand just off the side of the road looking at us as we approach - which by now is pretty much at walking pace. Unsurprisingly they make me very nervous these things.

That was last night,this morning we are off to Skye but first take a detour along a liitle road we have'nt been along before which turns off the A835 just after Drumrunie and heads west to the coast and a place called Achiltibuie. Steve wants some smoked fish and apparently there's a smokery near there.

Loaded up with smoked kippers (Steve had a packet) we're on our way again, next stop Ullapool for a tea break and fuel. From there, we follow the coast road past Gruinard Bay, Gairloch, Kinlochewe and turn off to Torridon and then the road around the Applecross peninsula. Nearing Applecross, there's a nuclear sub on exercise in the sound and we spend a few minutes stopped watching that float past - you never know we might see this happen again. Anyhow, the sub doesn't get stuck this time and keeps moving by which time it's about 3 o'clock when we get to the Applecross Inn for a late lunch/early tea.
As you'd expect on a Saturday with the sun shining the place is rammed buts it's not a long wait for me & Steves snap, but Nige has drawn the short straw again as he watches us eat our meals then we watch him eat his.

Staying two nights on Skye at the Lochbay B&B. We get there about seven o'clock, quick wash & brush up and then Johnny the owner takes us to the pub in his 4X4.
Good night in the Stein Inn, so good that Johnny has to ring his better half to come and pick us up at closing time. All the seats get nabbed and I get a ride hanging on for grim death in the open back space of the 4x4 - great fun.

Day 2 Braemat to Inchnadamph

Ice on the bikes this morning so it must have been chilly last night. But nice and warm in our holiday chalet.


Up and over the Lecht and through Inverness, then over to Lairg, after which it's north and turning off on the little used road at Altnahara, which requires the grass cutting on it. Miles of nothing in every direction.


Around loch eribol the fire brigade are out in force as there's a very large scrub fire on the hill side just before Pontys cafe. We end up stopping at Durness for Nige to top up with fuel at the only petrol station for 30 miles in all directions ( apart from 24hour pump in Scourie)


Don't pass by these pumps if you've got less than 75 miles left in your tank.
The last hour or so of the day is along one of the best roads in the country, the A894 from Durness to Inchnadamph, where we are staying in the hotel this year - hostel fully booked by some university.

Scotland 2011 day 1

420 miles today following a Nige detour to the falls of dochart. In a chalet in Braemar tonight at the place we stayed in the bunkhouse last year. Ronnie is the owner and by a coincidence we got talking to his brother in law Gary at the top of an alp
In France last summer


Posted on the go

Steve polishing his helmet in Southwaite services car park. Oo er!!


Posted on the go

Stop for snap at Stainmore on way to Scotland. Meeting Nige 40 miles further on


Posted on the go

Blogging app test

Test using blogging app. Which is the real Willy Buell? Check him out on You Tube.






- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Blowing the cobwebs off - Part 1

Combination of the crap weather and then lack of opportunities meant the bikes not been out for any really serious use yet this year, so today its a round trip around Lincolnshire visiting windmills that have the sails still on - i.e they still look like windmills!!! As you know I like to have a theme for a day out, got the idea when I was out and about the other day and passed two windmills with sails turning that were reasonably local to each other - at Tuxford and North Leverton. After a bit of research, I've found the only 10 windmills in Lincolnshire that meet the criteria, all but one in working order and most have cafes or tea shops attached. As luck would have it, they form a nice circular route starting and finishing in Lincoln. Its going to be arounsd 175 miles, but teh suns shining and its a cracking day for a ride out.

• Hewitts Mill Heapham

• Mount Pleasant Mill Kirton Lindsey

• Wrawby Mill near Brigg

• Waltham Mill near Cleethorpes

• Hoyles Mill Alford

• Dobsons Mill Burgh le Marsh

• Sibsey Trader Sibsey

• Maud Foster Windmill Boston

• Pocklingtons Windmill, Heckington




• Ellis Mill Lincoln

First on the list is Hewitts Mill at Heapham near Gainsborough. However, no sails on it!! From the pics found on the internet there were sails in place in 2008 so they must have been taken down recently. Its situated on a farm and looks like its private. No cafe or visitors facilities, and it's really out in the sticks.

Only a couple of miles away is the next mill - Mount Pleasant at Kirton in Lindsey. I pass this most days on my way to work but never stopped and had a look. It does have a tea room but it's not open today.Like most of these mills they're not open everyday

A short hop over to Brigg to get to Wrawby Mill. Apparently this is a post mill rather than a tower mill like the previous two! No facilities but it is situated in a small paddock and you can walk around and up to it. Opening days in June & July only according to the info board but keys available if you knock on the house next to it.

Next up its Waltham Mill. A well established attraction it has an adjacent park, cafe, miniature railway - but all shut today as its out of season!!

Four down and six more to go. However on the way from Wrawby to Waltham I stop to check out this. It seems the secret location of International Rescue has been blown (previously thought to be Tracey Island somewhere in the Pacific) and due to the recession, Thunderbird 3 is now providing a scheduled service from Humberside airport. I wonder when the next flight is?